Justice & Joy!
by Sue Laurie
For we are what God has made
us, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared
beforehand to be our way of life.
Ephesians 2:10
One year has passed since the
General Conference. Wow. We
have not been resting in recovery
during these last twelve months.
Actually, it is rather amazing how
focused and productive we have
been!
As athletes train and become
“physically fit”, their performances
in events improve and their recovery time diminishes. It is not long
until they are ready to go again.
Reconciling United Methodists
have become veterans of General
Conference; we are better prepared, less surprised by the experience, and so more resilient to the
challenges. We are “spiritually fit”;
our recovery time is shortened.
Now, upon the shoulders of faithful disciples and previous seasons
of Reconciling, we can see wider
horizons of God’s love. Thanks be
to God for a larger vision.

SPRING, 2009

Mission: Mobilizing United Methodists
tered in the full inclusion of God’s
With a sense of humor and strong
children. Reconciling Ministries
Jewish faith, Beth Zemsky a longNetwork is committed to making distime “professional” lesbian and past
ciples of Jesus Christ for the transco-chair of The Lesbian and Gay
formation of the world by living out
Task Force board was exactly the
the Gospel’s teaching of justice and
right choice to facilitate RMN’s strainclusion.
tegic planning process. With prayer
MISSION:
CORE VALUES:
and creativity, the
Reconciling Ministries Network
board engaged both
mobilizes United Methodists of Spiritually
Grounding all of
our challenges and
all sexual orientations and
our work in the jusour celebrations. In
gender identities to transform
tice imperative of
brief, you can see
our Church and world into the
the gospel, respectsome of our work
full expression of Christ’s
ing diverse aphere.
inclusive love.
proaches to scripThe full text is at
ture, and using
www.rmnetwork.org/mission.asp
inclusive language (for both people
and includes the mission, vision,
and God) in all of our work.
history, strategic directions, guiding
• Reconciliation through just,
principles, organizing criteria, and
peaceful relationships which lovsix strategic directions. We continue
ingly transform animosity into
to clarify a specific implementation
love.
plan for each strategic directive.
VISION: Reconciling Ministries
Network envisions a renewed and
vibrant Wesleyan movement that
is biblically and theologically cen-

This vision is not to be welcomed
in just a few congregations in
big cities that LGBT people have
migrated to ~ it is for us to walk
into any United Methodist Church
anywhere and be welcomed. It is
for inclusion in the small town
where I was born and the church
where I was baptized.
This vision is not only for United
Methodist Churches in the United
States, it is for our siblings around
the world ~ together we stand on
Continued on Page 3

Spring 2009 • Katalyst | 1

Asbury UMC, A Place for All People
The RMN board of directors had
tion and leadership all would say,
their winter meeting at Asbury
“Of course!”
UMC in Phoenix, Arizona and can
Reconciling Statement:
now personally testify to the warm
hospitality and mission outreach
...As a congregation we promise to
offered by this congregation. As you
follow and serve Christ, in union
would expect at a church whose paswith the church which has been
tor is co-creator of LTQ (see below),
opened to all people. In Christ, God
there is a long
was reconcilbook table in
ing the world
the sanctuary
to God’s
inviting both
self (II Cor
questions and
5:19). Havthoughtfulness
ing been thus
as spiritual
reconciled to
formation. A
God through
vital, growing
Christ, we
church, Asbury
have become
offers vibrant
[a ministry of
worship experireconciliation].
ences in the
We invite
RMN Board Jazzes It Up At Asbury!
round, utilizing
others to join
multimedia, a variety of musical
us in our spiritual journey and in
styles and an intellectually honest
our efforts to work for a more just
presentation of the faith. A Reconcil- and caring society.”--from Asbury’s
ing Congregation since 1996, their
Reconciling Statement of March 23,
loving inclusion of LGBT people is
1996
just one part of an amazing array of
Their website is www.aplaceforallministry and discipleship. If asked
people.com How great is that!?
whether this meant full participa-

Living the Questions (LTQ)
This curriculum has been used by many reconciling congregations with enthusiastic reviews. The
authors of “Living The Questions” (LTQ) are two
United Methodist pastors. Rev. Jeff Procter-Murphy and Rev. Dave Felten serve diverse congregations in and near Phoenix, AZ. Their idea of a
program to help people wrestle with basic questions
(those often avoided by the Christianity they grew
up with) has grown into LTQ. According to LTQ:
“People know that at its core, Christianity has something good to offer humanity. What is needed is a safe environment where people have permission
to ask the questions they’ve always wanted to ask but have been afraid to
voice for fear of being thought a heretic.”
For more information visit http://www.livingthequestions.com.

our Methodist understandings of
theology, connection, and social action.
This vision is not to survive a lukewarm welcome myself, allowing
slights to “roll off my back” ~ it is for
a place where I invite friends with
confidence that they will receive
authentic welcome.
This vision is grounded by the
sacraments of baptism and the open
communion table of United Methodist tradition. It is not, however, to
be welcome only on the receiving
side of the table. It is to baptize and
to consecrate that bread and cup as
ordained pastors.
This vision is to take up the mission
of the UMC ~ to make disciples of
Jesus Christ for the transformation
of the world. It is to enter the hard
places with the good news of God’s
love: hierarchial places, geographic
places or places that say they are
“welcome enough”.
I have seen the letter seeking to
alarm people about RMN’s All
Means All campaign ~ it called our
efforts a “trojan horse” that will
spread the gay agenda ~ as if we
have been trying to sneak in with
our outspoken and direct claims on
the Gospel and UM tradition. As if
rainbow stoles are discreet!
I watched an anti-gay YouTube
video offered by a United Methodist leader. Our successes cause our

adversaries to try to tear down our
ministry. Well, tearing down is easy.
Ask any 6 year old who has built a
tower of blocks, then suffers the glee
of a toddler sibling who just knocks
them down.
Building up is our calling. We expect
to thrive, not survive in our United
Methodist Church.
I invite you to Justice and Joy,
where Holy Spirit moments will visit
all who venture to the Rockies with
us.
Celebrate our All Means All campaign ~ a confident and ambitious
mission trip ably led by Rev. Tiffany
Steinwert, Laura Rossbert, Laura
Young, Sean Delmore and RMN
staff. The witnesses within Annual
Conferences have already brought
success.

Yearning for
Surprise
By Rev. Troy Plummer
When some of our best words (Dialogue, Unity, Holy Conferencing)
have been used to describe processes
that delay justice for LGBT folks, it
is with caution and care that new
efforts begin again. Keeping the
church’s commitment made in negotiations at General Conference in
Fort Worth, the first table of advocates and bishops gathered on March
9, 2009 in Chicago.
Twelve reconciling disciples met
with five bishops (Arichea, Carcaño,
Dyck, Lowrey, and Weaver). Early
frustration occurred with the

I believe even the trojan horse comment may help us ~ it teaches their
own audience that “ALL” does necessarily include lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people. I am excited
that the word “ALL” is no longer
code for “all heterosexuals”.
The RMN board members and staff
have been very active. As you read
the new mission and vision statements, you will feel the shift in our
relationship with the UMC. We are
leading the church within its own
mission.
As Paul said in Ephesians, we are
created for good works!

Ten of the Twelve Reconciling Disciples

recognition that we were missing our
Southeastern Jurisdiction (Pennel)
and African (Machado) bishops. And
still as we honor years of dialogue
resulting in “Can We Talk?” from
GCCUIC, and education (Church
Studies Homosexuality, mandated
study by General Conference 2000),
and innumerable “balanced” panels,
we yearn for the Holy Spirit to break
in and surprise us with a new way
to move forward as church together.
We name the brokenness of our procedures at General Conference and
have common cause to transform
this brokenness to wholeness.
We have not found that new way yet.
We will meet again. After diligent
planning and research, we will yearn
for surprise. The surprise that is
already on its way because the Holy
Spirit has already confirmed God’s
desire for a fully inclusive United
Methodist Church.

MN Packs CTW House With 95

Spring 2009 • Katalyst | 3

Justice and Joy! Workshops
The Convo Team is working hard on an exciting slate of workshops for Justice & Joy. Workshop pre-registration will
start in early June. You will be able to log into your registration account and pre-register for workshops at that time.
Here are two upcoming workshop descriptions. To register for Convo, visit www.rmnetwork.org/convo2009.asp.

Rethinking Church
By Rev. Dr. Elaine A. Heath

Are We Relevant?
By Rev. Roland Springfellow

Many United Methodists are
longing for a simpler, more
communal experience of
church, one that is less about
programs and buildings
and more about disciplined
spiritual practices and missional presence in the world.
This workshop will present a
vision for distinctly Wesleyan
community that is emerging, missional, monastic and
Methodist.

What is the agenda of a more
progressively minded church
and can it present a compelling case so that the American people and their elected
leaders will listen?
Topics include: What is the
progressive Christian Church
and is it possible to agree on
a central message? The conservative Christian agenda-What lessons can we learn
from the past? Spiritual vs.
secular.

Biography:

Biography:

The Rev. Dr. Elaine A. Heath is the McCreless Assistant
Professor of Evangelism at Perkins School of Theology,
the director of the Center for the Advanced Study and
Practice of Evangelism at Southern Methodist University, and is an Elder in the East Ohio Conference of the
United Methodist Church. In local church ministry, her
special area of interest is leadership development leading to congregational health and evangelistic vitality,
and the development of new monastic faith communities.
Dr. Heath has provided retreat and seminar leadership
in spiritual formation and leadership development for
clergy for many years. Among her research interests are
the new monasticism, the emerging church, spirituality
and evangelism, and gender and evangelism.

The Rev. Roland Stringfellow is Coordinator of the
Coalition of Welcoming Congregations in the Bay Area
of California with the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Sexuality (CLGS) on the campus of
Pacific School of Religion. Stringfellow earned a Bachelor
of Science degree in education and a Master of Science
degree in counseling from Indiana University. He later
earned a Master of Arts degree in ministry from Grace
Theological Seminary and in 1990 became a licensed
minister in the Baptist Church.

Dr. Heath holds a B.A. degree from Oakland University,
an M.Div. from Ashland Theological Seminary, and a
Ph.D. from Duquesne University. Her publications include: Naked Faith: Mysticism and Mission in the Theology of Phoebe Palmer, Princeton Theological Monograph
Series (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2009); The
Mystic Way of Evangelism: A Contemplative Vision for
Christian Outreach (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,
2008); and Longing for Spring: A New Vision for Wesleyan Community, co-authored with Scott Kisker, (Eugene,
OR: Cascade, 2009).
Dr. Heath is co-founder and pastor of The People of New
Day, a new monastic community in the United Methodist tradition in Dallas, Texas. She and her husband
Randall Bell live in Garland, Texas and are the parents
of two adult daughters. Favorite activities include hiking, camping, bicycling, canoeing, sailing, flea markets,
music and watching movies.
4 | Katalyst • Spring 2009

In 2005 Roland was ordained with the Metropolitan
Community Church and in 2006 he earned his M. Div.
degree from the Pacific School of Religion with a certificate in Religion and Sexuality. He has worked as a pastor in Indiana and California. In addition to all his work
within church contexts, Roland also worked in the field
education in a variety of capacities–teacher, guidance
counselor, college advisor, and vice-principal.
In his current position, Rev. Stringfellow is working
to create dialogues on the topic of LGBT equality with
church congregations and in religious institutions in
northern California. He played an active leadership role
in the campaign against the state of California’s Proposition 8 in November 2008, speaking to and organizing
support within religious communities and communities
of color.

Key Convo Deadlines
•

The next registration deadline is July 24. Save
$30.00 by registering now.

•

The guaranteed lodging deadline is August 2.

Spring 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Katalyst | 5

Called To Witness Field Report

“Mission: Mobilizing United Methodists,” Continued from Page1

By Audrey Krumbach
I was not at all surprised when an Iowa court affirmed the constitutional
protection of gay-marriage. As I traveled the South Central Jurisdiction
these last three months, I experienced this Middle American hospitality.
I ate barbeque with gay couples in Houston, Texas; visited a GLBT Sunday school in Salina, Kansas; and met leaders of gender support groups in
Oklahoma and far-west Nebraska. I heard stories of parents who cried with
joy when their son met Mr. Right and listened to tales of the gentle mother
who reprimanded another parent for homophobia. She explained, “how inappropriate for any parent to remove their child from a high school basketball
team just because another student had the courage to come out!”
Did you know that Called to Witness surpassed their training goals? The
original goal was to train 750 people.

economic injustice.
•

Integrating Sexuality with
Spirituality: by supporting the
development of healthy, loving
expressions of sexuality and
spirituality for everyone.

•

Relationships of hospitality
which bridge across theological
divides and foster interconnected
communities.

•

Systems Change by enacting
policy change and creating long
term solutions in our church and
society.

•

Stewardship through responsible
use of all the resources God is
providing for our work.

•

Organizational Authenticity and
excellence in all we do with an
abiding openness to new growth
and further education.

The campaign trained over 1017 people!

Reconciling Ministries Network has
six strategic directions that challenge us to always ask ourselves the
question that we ask The United
Methodist Church, “Does your all
mean all?” and to take concrete action towards a fully inclusive church
like the Convocation leadership for
Justice and Joy 2009. See two of
those directions below.
Sending the 70 Nashville CTW Organizers

New Resource: All God’s Children
Burrill, Melany, All God’s Children: Teaching Children
About Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, [Fort
Wayne, IN: LifeQuest, 2009; 20 pp., ISBN 1-893270-48-0].
All God’s Children is an essential guide to open and caring
conversations with young children about gender and sexual
orientation. You’ll find that this small, user-friendly book
addresses your concerns, your questions, and your search
for just the right words; it also suggests ideas for sermons
and classroom activities. As you read, you’ll learn to model
openness, respect, and the affirming belief that everyone,
regardless of sexual orientation or gender difference, is a
beloved child of God. Anyone who has a loving relationship with young children—parents, family, friends, pastors,
Sunday School teachers—will benefit from reading and
discussing All God’s Children.
All God’s Children is available at Reconciling Ministries
Network for $7 plus shipping and handling. You may purchase this resource
at www.rmnetwork.org/store.asp or by calling (773) 736-5526. Bulk orders of
10 or more are $4.50 per book.
6 | Katalyst • Spring 2009

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2:
Model God’s diverse creation
through the full participation of
persons of all sexual orientations
and gender identities in the Reconciling Movement, including diverse
leadership development with
intentional emphasis upon the full
inclusion of LGBT persons, young
adults, and people of color.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3:
Live out the connectionalism of
a world-wide church with the
clergy, laity, and LGBT groups of
the Central Conferences through
communication and relationship
building, identifying both unique
needs and common causes.

Bishop Melvin
Wheatley
“Lucile and I never went through
the agony that most PFLAG parents
went through. We knew immediately
that if John was gay, the stereotypes
must be false...We wouldn’t feel
comfortable being anywhere John
wouldn’t be welcome.”
Bishop Melvin Wheatley

The Reconciling Movement remembers the life and work of Bishop
Melvin Wheatley who died at the
age of 93. A memorial service was
held March 22 at Westwood United
Methodist Church in Los Angeles.
Wheatley served this church for 18
years before his election as bishop
In addition to his wife, Lucile, and
son, James, of Kauai, Hawaii, he is
also survived by another son, Paul,
of Valley Center, California.

“Gifts In Honor of...”
In Honor of…

Honored by…

All of my friends who have been who Sarah Wingo
they are regardless if the church
accepted them.
Any Gay or Lesbian

Bishop Wheatley was the first voice
to stand apart from the Council of
Bishops in solidarity with lesbian
and gay United Methodists. Bishop
Wheatley spoke at the first national
convocation of Reconciling Congregations in 1987 on “Lesbian/Gay Issues
in the United Methodist Church:
Past and Future.”
If you would like to read Bishop
Melvin Wheatley’s 1978 declaration
before the Council of Bishops and
other news items, please visit http://
tinyurl.com/MelvinWheatley.

Save a tree! To receive future Katalysts electronically, email sarah@rmnetwork.org
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8 | Katalyst • Spring 2009

About Katalyst
A quarterly publication of RMN,
this Katalyst and other editions
are available online at
www.rmnetwork.org/katalyst.asp.
Hardcopies of the most recent editions can be ordered at:
Reconciling Ministries Network
3801 North Keeler Avenue
Chicago, IL 60641-3007
Phone 773.736.5526
Fax 773.736.5475
Email info@rmnetwork.org
For semi-monthly updates on
movement happenings, sign up for
the Flashnet! eNewsletter at
www.rmnetwork.org/Flashnet.asp.
RMN is a non-profit corporation
with 501 (c)(3) status. All financial
contributions are tax deductable to
the fullest extent of the law.